Welsh Mfg. Co. Providence, RI

Kathy discovered an old fountain pen amidst some stuff she was going through to discard. She encountered a fascinating item which certainly won't be among the things to be discarded.

This is an interesting old pen. There are no identifying characteristics on the outside. The pen has a clip vaguely similar to a Parker, that being an arrow but otherwise the clip is not particularly unusual.

The nib reveals the only piece of history available. It reads: Welsh Mfg. Co. Stainless Steel. Providence, RI.

The nib may also be right oblique. Either that or it's been damaged. But, it doesn't look damaged and when I dipped the pen, it writes reasonably well so I'm inclined to discount the likelihood of damage.

Do I have any photos? No. I seem to recall reading somewhere on the FPN site how to upload photos to some other source but can't recall where.

Welsh made more than just fountain pens; they were a manufacturer/supply of a whole range of office supplies. My current employer represented them from the 1940s into the 1960s. Unfortunately, all records and catalogs were dumped many years ago!

Do you happen to know whether the fountain pens were actually made by Welsh or were they made by someone else and labeled for Welsh? Or, is the answer to that question among the records which were dumped some time ago?

I don't know, but suspect they did make at least some of their own pens. I would suggest asking that question over at Lion & Pen ( http://kamakurapens.invisionzone.com/ ) where there are folks with far deeper knowledge than mine!

I don't know, but suspect they did make at least some of their own pens. I would suggest asking that question over at Lion & Pen ( http://kamakurapens.invisionzone.com/ ) where there are folks with far deeper knowledge than mine!

best, Dan

Right Dan Let's see the reaction at L&P when someone asks about Welsh

DRP, use this link to find all the patents of the Welsh Mfg Co. It appears that they went out of business around 1972. The patents should give you some information should you want to pursue this more. Let us know what you find.

Considering that they were a Manufacturing company, and that 10 patents (quick count) have been registered for writing instruments, it would really be astonishing if they did not manufacture themselves.

Greetings to all. I am a newbie to Fountain Pen Network as well as to fountain pens. But I love them, period. First of all, I recently acquired a pen, the nib marked "Welsh Manufacturing Co. Providence, RI." I bought it for parts, as I am interested in learning repair work and I wanted to see how the thing operated. But one of your readers made reference to a type of nib that I have not heard if before: a right oblique nib. Would someone kindly describe for me as to what kind of nib this is? Also, looking through my loupe, I noticed that the tines are far apart. Is this damage or is part of the structure of the nib?

I am so looking to being a part of this community. Thank you for any responses.

averett

"If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast."--Psalm 139

But one of your readers made reference to a type of nib that I have not heard if before: a right oblique nib. Would someone kindly describe for me as to what kind of nib this is?

This from Nibs.com:

The oblique tip is cut at an angle, usually about 15 degrees, normally from top right to lower left, looking like ones left foot from the top. This is usually called a Left Oblique. Unfortunately, some companies, including Parker Pen, call this a Right Oblique. A true Right Oblique point, also called a Reverse Oblique, has a slant exactly the opposite of a Left Oblique and is used by only a few right-handed writers.

An oblique delivers more subtle line-width variation than stubs and italics because the broadest stroke is the upper-left-to-lower-right diagonal, and if your writing style is typical of most right-handed writers, your characters will have few of these strokes. John loves a left oblique point, but he is also used to the rotation required (the pen must be rotated to the left in order to find the point's "sweet spot").

Greetings to all. I am a newbie to Fountain Pen Network as well as to fountain pens. But I love them, period. First of all, I recently acquired a pen, the nib marked "Welsh Manufacturing Co. Providence, RI." I bought it for parts, as I am interested in learning repair work and I wanted to see how the thing operated. But one of your readers made reference to a type of nib that I have not heard if before: a right oblique nib. Would someone kindly describe for me as to what kind of nib this is? Also, looking through my loupe, I noticed that the tines are far apart. Is this damage or is part of the structure of the nib?

I am so looking to being a part of this community. Thank you for any responses.

averett

"If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast."--Psalm 139

"From 1931 to 1934, the American Woolen Company slowly sold off the Weybosset Mill buildings and American Woolen-owned land parcels. The three blocks of Weybosset Mill buildings remained primarily industrial, containing a number of small assorted manufacturing and auto repair companies through the latter half of the twentieth century. Most of the lots and buildings transferred ownership frequently. The occupants of the Weybosset Mill buildings slowly made small alterations, including the demolition of the overhead passageways between the mills, additions to the rear sides of Mill No.3 and Mill No.4, and faux facade changes on the north elevation of the Mill No. 1 Boiler House. In the 1980s, Mill No.1 was demolished.

"The Welsh Manufacturing Company was the only long-term tenant in the former Weybosset Mills after 1930. Welsh Manufacturing bought Mill No.4 and its secondary buildings from the American Woolen Company in 1931. In May 1931, the company commented 'the newly acquired plant will furnish double the space now provided, and will provide for future growth' (Providence Evening Bulletin 1931*). After purchasing the property, Welsh Manufacturing occupied the top floor of Mill No.4 and rented the rest of the building. Welsh Manufacturing sold the property in 1970.

"James W. Welsh, of Providence, started the Welsh Manufacturing Company to produce pencils, pen sets, and eyeglasses. He began his career working at Stevens and Company, an optical goods manufacturer in Providence, then worked for Bausch and Lomb after that company bought Stevens and Company. In 1931, Welsh still owned the Welsh Manufacturing Company and worked as its vice president and general manager. Ellis W. MacAllister served as president of the company."

There are some drawn and photographic images of the site included in the PDF.